THE HOME OF THE RAINFOREST WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL TO PORTRAY SARAWAK’S OWN MUSICIANS
By Yeoh Jun Lin | Artistic Director - Rainforest World Music Festival

There are over 30 different tribes in Sarawak – each one having their own rituals and costumes and social systems.

The Kelabits are a branch of the Orang Ulu tribe and is one of the smaller remaining tribe in the area.

Their home used to be the Kelabit Highlands which is a plateau that lies on the mountainous range that separates North-Eastern Sarawak from the Indonesian part of Borneo. They lived in longhouses that were many trekking miles from towns and were largely inaccessible by river because of the presence of rapids. 

At the end of the 19th century, this tribe was well known for their fierce warriors, hunting, fishing and farming skills. Their men wore broad conical hats while the women were elaborately tattooed, wore bright skull caps and had elongated pierced ear-lobes that were considered a high mark of beauty. Beads and jars were their treasures and continue to be heirloom pieces.

They had their own methods of making salt, and from this, they smoked their meats over an open fire. This salted meat is known as Labo Belatuh.

Bamboo and rattan are materials that the kelabits use to make handicrafts.

They also used bamboo to make music instruments – this was an invention of one their Christian missionaries Paul Kohuan, also known as Nimang Tepun, to encourage the local people to ply hymns on these instruments.

This is now a dying art among the Kelabits.

However, in 1993, Gugkang Raja re-formed this kind of band and the 30 or so members now have revived this old tradition.

The Kelapang Kelabit Bamboo Band will be performing at the 10th Anniversary of the Rainforest World Music Festival at the Sarawak Cultural Village, just outside the capital of Kuching over the weekend of 13th, 14th and 15th July 2007.

Also performing is another group of children who have been trying to preserve the songs, dances and instruments.

This is the ANAK ADI’ RURUM – children of parents who worried that the old ways would die out if steps were not taken to show the next generation where their roots come from.

They have girls playing the sape which used to be only an instrument for the men. They dance. They wear the beautiful beaded velvet dresses of the Kelabits. And they have also been very active in preserving the customs while trying to protect the environment. One of their projects was to find substitute feathers for their head gear which used to use hornbill feathers.

Old games from the longhouses are also revived – they will be doing an interactive workshop on this as well at the festival.

JERRY KAMIT – the virtuoso Iban sape player will also be resplendent in his warrior costumes when he performs on his boat-shaped lute.

And percussionists Johari and his son Ainal, from their Melanau, Malay and Bidayuh backgrounds, will be playing their ketabong, sabang, kompan and rebana.  

The Rainforest World Music Festival, organized by the Sarawak Tourism Board, will be bringing in musicians from all over the world to share the stage with the local bands.

Ethnic instruments and a strong identity of a certain culture is the theme of the festival.

Being the 10th Anniversary, the festival is bringing back only bands who have played at some point over the last 9 years – a sort of “balik kampong” feel.

Tickets are already on sale and can be bought online at http://www.ticketcharge.com.my/  as well as at all Visitor Information Centres in Kuching, Miri and Sibu.

Tickets are priced at RM80 for a one day Adult Pass, and RM200 for a 3-day Adult Pass. Children aged 3 – 12 years of age can purchase half priced tickets.

Yeoh Jun Lin
Artistic Director
Rainforest World Music Festival